Duck Lake i did my hair in the mirror

@Molpadia
foward dated a day after she was in the taiga!

the amazonian decided to stray away from the flatlands and travel elsewhere. she intended to find a suitable place as a temporary home, just until she could figure out how to go about spreading the family culture. forming her own band was ideal, but a goal she was not ready to strive for yet. she wasn’t sure she was ready for such great responsibility.
alkaia didn’t slow her pace until she heard a choir of ducks. the commotion peaked her interest so she followed the sound to a lake. she strode towards the fowl, causing them to waddle farther away from the wolf in a panic. she wasn’t hungry so she stood at a distance and observed them.

The female was beginning to think that this new land was full of males as she trekked further. Her stomach growling pulled her from her thoughts. She needed to hunt, but what though. That's when she stopped when she caught glimpse of a familiar female.

her eyes wandered away from the ducks and rested on a brown pelt before her. the darkness of the fur and glinting blue eyes were oddly familiar. it reminded her of the sister she had left behind, along with the rest of her family. could this be molpadia? “no,” she murmured, almost inaudibly. she was back at home, with her mother and sisters, this couldn’t be her! but maybe...

alkaia took a few unsettled steps towards the wolf, but as she drew closer, as her denial proved to be false, the unease drifted away. the amazonian didn’t greet her sister, only stared at her. her mind was racing with questions.

”you left home,” she stated as if molpadia was unaware. did areto send her out? was she kicked out? did she follow her? alkaia wanted to blurt all these questions out, but simply asked: “why?”

It was clear now who this stranger was and the female was left now in utter shock. "I...there was nothing left for me there. I had learned almost everything, I got restless and then a few days ago I expressed this to mother before I left." She spoke in her native tongue as she watched her sister.

she shook her head at the news. she just left? was that even allowed? she couldn’t recall a time where her mother had let a warrior just leave, not without her say-so and a good reason.

“how did she take it?” she asked, “was she angry?” she imagined the ordeal didn’t go smoothly. their mother was always strict and a stickler for rules. molpadia was brave for asking her to leave, she’d give her that. brave and stupid. alkaia would kill to stay in their homelands, but alas her fate rested in teekon, whether she liked it or not.

her thoughts strayed to her older siblings. “and what of our sisters, what did they think? or do they even know?” she questioned.

In truth her mother and sisters weren't fond of the idea but. "At first she didn't take it lightly but after thoroughly explaining my reasoning she allowed me to go. Perhaps age has softened her. She also wishes you well."

“you and i both know mother is not the soft type,” she chuckled, “but she has a soft spot for us i’m sure. we are her daughters after all.”the fact that areto sent her regards bought a small smile to her face. “and to her as well.”

alkaia let out a sad sigh and turned her gaze to the lake. “i have missed you, sister. i’ve missed you all,” she admitted. ebon lake bought her so much happiness and comfort. this place didn’t feel normal, didn’t feel safe. she looked down to her paws with eyes filled with sorrow. “i thought all this would be easy. my mission. but i don’t know where to begin. i wonder if phoebe felt like this when she was sent out.”

"I have missed you as well. As for phoebe, I know not. " Molpadia walked closer towards her sister as she nudged her softly. "This new place is full of strange things as well as strange wolves. You are the first female I have seen since I arrived. I ran into about three males on my way here."

alkaia welcomed her sister’s affection and touched her shoulder with her nose. “it is,” she agreed. the trees, the grass, the sky, they were all the same. everything around here was the same, yet so very different.

she wasn’t shocked to hear about the amount of men she met here, but was surprised to hear she hadn’t seen any females around. “what were they doing?”

The wolf thought back to their conversation. "They were speaking of a pack. Possible recruitment I suppose." She was merely guessing seeing as though she left after a while. Their conversation bored her so she thought no reason to stay in the males presence.

she nodded. “i see,” she murmured. it reminded her plans of founding her own pack one day. “i came here wanting to do that myself, but i’m not ready for that responsibility.” why did areto have to plague her with this difficult task, of all others?

alkaia took a couple steps away from her sibling and looked her in the eye. “come with me,” she stated suddenly. there was a subtle plea in her soft voice “i want you to be by my side, no matter what happens, sister.”

She was touched by her sisters sentiment and it brought a smile to her muzzle. "I wouldn't want it any other way." She stated simply. "The bigger question is where will we go?"

wrapping this up

she sighed. “i’m not sure,” she admitted, “i don’t know about you, but i’m not ready to serve anyone other than an amazonian.”

alkaia stood up and began to walk, silently beckoning her sister to follow. “we should just stay loners for now. at least until winter arrives. then we can decide what to do.”